A practical step-by-step course showing how you can begin making your first documentary movies, from researching and defining your theme, style, and the treatment that will drive your film, to organizing the production and, ultimately, getting it seen by a wider audience.

(back cover) Documentary films produced for TV, DVD, and movie theater distribution employ more filmmakers than any other genre, and are a popular career choice for beginners. Thanks to user-friendly equipment available today, you can get started in this burgeoning field even if you don't have a film-school background. - This book shows how you can begin making documentary movies--from researching and defining your theme, style, and the treatment that gives your film coherence, to organizing the production, and ultimately, getting it seen by a wider audience. - You will learn all the fundamentals: the essential equipment you must buy or rent for shooting and editing; the journalistic and production know-how for identifying interview subjects and locations and getting them on camera; the cinematic and editing skills that bring your material together for maximum impact; and the ability to find those key shots that will make your film a success. Kevin J. Lindenmuth has worked in the film/television business for over 25 years, both in New York City and the Detroit Metro area. In the course of his career he has produced over a dozen independent features that have been distributed worldwide and seven documentaries, most of the latter broadcast nationally on PBS. In addition to writing for several film-oriented magazines and websites, he has written two previous books on independent filmmaking.

"A realist with a sense of humor, Chasse is both stringent and encouraging as she covers every aspect of creating a successful production." —Booklist starred review How to Make and Distribute a Documentary without Losing Your Mind or Going Broke Documentary filmmaking requires more than just a passion for the subject, whether it be one’s personal story or that of someone else, a historical event or a startling discovery, a political movement or a heinous crime. Making a documentary and getting it in front of an audience requires determination, careful planning, money, and a strong production team. With over thirty years of experience in filmmaking, author Betsy Chasse mentors readers every step of the way with a down-to-earth approach and invaluable advice. Chapters cover topics such as: Choosing a Subject Developing a Business Plan Securing Financial Backing Assembling a Production Team Nailing Interviews and Shooting B-Roll Getting through Post-Production Distributing and Marketing the Film Both novices and experienced filmmakers will benefit from this all-inclusive guide. With the right knowledge, persistence, and The Documentary Filmmaking Master Class in their camera bags, readers will not only turn their visions into reality, they’ll be able to share the results with others and navigate the process with confidence.

More filmmakers are employed in making documentary films than any other genre. Thanks to the user-friendly equipment available today, it is no longer an area that requires a film-school background to get started. This book shows how you can begin making your first documentary movies - from researching and defining your theme, style, and the treatment that will drive your film, to organising the production and, ultimately, getting it seen by a wider audience. Following the simple practical advice, tips and easy steps in this book will get you started today. - Learn how to choose your subject and decide on your storytelling style - Create an outline/structure for your documentary and research and plan your material - Find out the essential equipment you will need to buy or rent in order to shoot and edit - Discover cinematic and editing skills to pull all your material together. - Understand how to budget and finance your project - Find out the logistics of shooting interviews, footage and other source materials - Create a trailer and get your work seen through festivals and publicity - Learn about the wider world of distribution

Outlines each step in creating documentaries, from conception to final film, and offers advice on capturing human behavior and recreating past events, with advice on how to get started in the field, a section on researching and developing a project, and current resources.

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most revered filmmakers of the 20th century. Not only was he the "Master of Suspense," he was also an innovator of storyboarding, directing, framing, editing, and marketing. Hitchcock regularly engaged with his audiences and gave lectures at film institutes, universities, and film schools across the country. Now in this Movie Making Master Class, Hitchcock author and aficionado Tony Lee Moral takes you through the process of making a ?motion picture, Hitchcock-style.

"Discover vital insider tips on producing movies with a micro budget! Covering both tried and true filmmaking techniques as well as insight on marketing, selling, and distributing your film, Raindance Producers' Lab, Second Edition is the ultimate independent filmmaker's guide to producing movies. This edition has been updated to include: fresh features on low-budget, high quality video cameras, including new digital camera options such as DSLRAn extensive selection of new case studies and interviews with industry talents such as Ewan McGregor, Ate de Jong, James Youngs, Joe Pavlo, Martin Myers, Rolin Heap, and more; essential advice on how to make the web work for you and promote your films through Twitter, Facebook and other social media platformsAll new postproduction workflows. A companion website (www.lotonobudgetfilmmaking.com) providing all the contracts and material you need to run a production company and make successful low budget movies. The verdict is in: if you're looking for a clear-cut, no-nonsense approach to micro-budget filmmaking and producing, Elliot Grove's wealth of teaching and filmmaking experience combined with winning formulas for marketing and promotion make this book a must-have one-stop shop for filmmakers! "--